Silver ‘Occupation’ amulet showing several objects on a ‘woven bamboo’ sieve. For the background story on the use of such sieves see Quick Find 0289 & 3285. Depicted on this particular example are a ruler, scales, a mirror, an abacus, a book and a sword. The book on this talisman has the title ‘Tongshu’ which was a concise encyclopedia written by the philosopher Zhou Dunyi (1017 – 1073). This amulet was worn on the chest and was supposed to bring good fortune to the career and life of their owner. The mirror in the centre symbolizes ‘together’ and is also known to frighten off evil spirits. The sword refers to a career as a soldier. The amulet dates from the Republic Period (1912 – 1947). Diameter 6.1 cm. Depth 0.5 cm. The Total length including the chain is 56 cm.